Memorize - Episode 16
16 Split in Half
As I mentioned before, Deadmen are not even considered monsters in the Hollow Plane. Their only abilities are a bit of intelligence and the power to infect. Given that the Hollow Plane's purpose is to prove qualifications, a robust adult male with an iron pipe has more than an 80% chance of defeating a Deadman. (Of course, this assumes a one-on-one situation and that the man is capable of completely rational thinking.)
Ahn Hyun is equipped with a long sword and shield, and his basic abilities are decent. With a strong mindset and knowledge of how to handle weapons, he could grow much more than he is now. To the point where he could take Deadmen lightly.
Once the ice was broken, his actions became more proactive, and his sword strikes became bolder. Ahn Hyun was clever and a natural fighter. Still unable to completely shake off his uneasiness, he was tackling the Deadmen by prioritizing defense and striking with counterattacks. If he gains more confidence, he'll likely be able to handle three or four Deadmen easily with just the long sword.
After choosing to break through, we quickly began to leave the forest. While feeling our way along the escape route, Kim Han-byeol discovered traces of a trail, giving us hope that following it would lead us out of the forest. Consequently, the group's pace naturally quickened. However, the more we descended, the more frequently Deadmen appeared, which was unavoidable. Given the situation, we decided to use this as an opportunity to build Ahn Hyun's combat experience, and he was indeed handling most of the fights.
Four Deadmen, having caught the scent of humans, opened their mouths wide while making unpleasant growls. Ahn Hyun's eyes were full of confidence, suggesting his aggressive tendencies were becoming more apparent. As Ahn Hyun immediately raised his sword and shield, Ahn Sol spoke in a tiny voice.
"Brother... be careful..."
"Okay. Just wait a bit. Hyung, please protect Sol and the others."
"Don't worry about the kids. I'll protect them."
As Lee Yoo-jung shouted, "Who are you calling kids?", he laughed briefly before charging forward with a fierce and violent momentum.
While he had dealt with two at once before, this was his first time facing four. I decided to load my crossbow in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances.
Facing the monsters rushing towards him, Ahn Hyun took a diagonal step to the left when they were about 1 meter away. While the human body is flexible, the monsters' bodies are not. The Deadman, which had been charging forward ready to bite, had to hesitate due to its stiff joints. Taking advantage of this weakness in side defense, Ahn Hyun thrust his sword into its head. One down. Simultaneously, he quickly withdrew his sword to keep the remaining three at bay.
Watching Ahn Hyun, I felt he was truly capable. What impressed me most was that he didn't just rely on simple attacks and defenses, but knew how to target the enemy's weaknesses. The fact that he stepped diagonally, knowing the Deadmen were weak against rotation, was definitely praiseworthy.
With a squelching sound, one of the monsters stepped back a few paces. A Deadman's only means of attack is biting with its teeth. To strike with a shield, raising it above the upper chest is far more efficient and safe. And Ahn Hyun was figuring this out and implementing it on his own, without anyone teaching him. As he saw the Deadman with its teeth bared, Ahn Hyun's sword shot forward like a meteor. With a thud, I mentally counted two down.
With two monsters taken care of, only half remained. Perhaps because he had dealt with the previous monsters relatively easily, the shield in his left arm seemed to be held more loosely than at first. As one monster lunged, trying to bite even a small piece, Ahn Hyun calmly watched it while gripping the long sword's handle in reverse. Seeing this, my eyes lit up. Could it be a one-handed drawing technique...?
He calculated the distance for swinging the long sword and adjusted his timing. I knew quite a bit about the principles of drawing techniques, being somewhat of an expert in them. The Deadman with its mouth wide open entered the range. At the same time, I could see Ahn Hyun's hand tightening on the long sword. Now was the moment.
Slash!
A chilling sound of flesh being cut rang through the air. Though somewhat clumsy, he succeeded in taking off the center of the Deadman's head with a single, exquisite curved slash. A feeling akin to elation appeared on his face. However, my eyes, which had been observing the battle, frowned for the first time. There was still one monster left.
The moment the Deadman in front collapsed, the one rushing from behind immediately pounced on Ahn Hyun. It was good that he reflexively put his shield forward, but because he had been holding it loosely, it didn't seem like it would overcome the charging Deadman's force. I quickly aimed my loaded crossbow, watching their collision.
Bang!
"Ugh!"
As expected, Ahn Hyun lost his grip on the shield. Unlike earlier when he took the impact with his whole body, this time it was just his left arm bearing the collision. His hand was probably tingling right now. Anyway, due to the force of the collision, Ahn Hyun's front was left undefended, and seizing this opportunity, the Deadman's teeth came in like a snake, aiming for his chest. Seeing this, I immediately released the arrow. Sorry, but he's too valuable to become your meal.
With a sharp whistling sound, the arrow flew and accurately pierced the Deadman's head. Watching the monster crumble just as it was about to bite his neck, Ahn Hyun sat down on the ground, looking like he had aged ten years.
"Phew..."
"Boss, nice shot."
Whether or not she understood the danger of the situation, Lee Yoo-jung joked while looking at me. While Ahn Hyun was good at visible combat, he still couldn't read one step ahead. Well, what he's doing now is already enough; expecting more might be greedy. With a dazed face, Ahn Hyun stroked his neck and spoke to me with a relieved voice.
"Thanks to you, I survived. Thank you, hyung."
"It's nothing. I just helped with one. You did well."
At my banter, Ahn Hyun shook his head and muttered with an unbelieving face.
"I didn't expect an attack like that to come. If it weren't for the arrow you shot, I would have..."
Glancing at Ahn Sol's face, I saw her pouting, ready to burst into tears at any moment. Seeing Ahn Sol shudder as if she didn't want to hear any more, Ahn Hyun held back his words.
"It couldn't be helped. The timing of its attack was impeccable. In cases like that, I'll try my best to support..."
"Waaah!"
Before he could finish speaking, Ahn Sol, unable to hold back any longer, burst into tears and ran towards her brother. They were truly a tear-jerking sibling pair. Feeling somewhat awkward, I unloaded the crossbow and put the arrow back in the quiver. Lee Yoo-jung, who would be second to none in aggressiveness, spoke in a subtly envious voice while watching the two.
"Just from watching, I feel like I could do it too... Tch. I should have chosen a weapon too. Han-byeol, don't you have any weapons?"
At Lee Yoo-jung's words, Kim Han-byeol rummaged through her belongings for a moment before pulling out a short dagger. While it might be useful for throwing, it was hard to see it as an efficient weapon for landing effective hits, as you'd need to get very close. Unless wielded by a sword master like me, an ordinary person swinging it would be more likely to get bitten while trying to stab the head.
"It doesn't seem like it'll be much help. But why are you carrying that around?"
"Just in case. It's better to end your own life than suffer a terrible fate, right?"
"...What are you, a virtuous woman from the Joseon Dynasty...?"
At Kim Han-byeol's calm voice, Lee Yoo-jung shook her head with a disgusted look, then turned her gaze to my left arm. Looking at the crossbow attached to my left arm with envious eyes, she soon remembered that she didn't know how to use it and grumbled with a disappointed face.
"Isn't there an iron pipe like that bastard was carrying somewhere? Han-byeol, can you look around and see if there's anything?"
"There isn't."
It seemed that Kim Han-byeol was uncomfortable with Lee Yoo-jung speaking casually to her. Suddenly, Park Dong-geol's group came to mind. Compared to my previous Trial of Passage, we were coming down much more comfortably now. Back then... the first two days were really just a series of escapes. What would they be doing now? Frantically running away? Or maybe they've already been torn to pieces and ended up in the Deadmen's stomachs.
Of course, it wasn't my concern, so I immediately erased it from my mind. Whether it was due to the aftermath of the battle or because he was comforting Ahn Sol, Ahn Hyun approached us with slightly weakened steps.
"Hyung. Looking at it, the traces of the trail are becoming clearer. It seems we're almost there. How about we move right away?"
"Yeah, let's do that."
Hearing the conversation between Ahn Hyun and me, Lee Yoo-jung, frustrated at not having a weapon, acted out a bit.
"Tch. You're excited, aren't you? You might get taken out suddenly. Be careful."
"I'd rather not be eaten sitting still. It's better to struggle like this. Anyway, let's go down quickly."
"I know. I'm sick of this forest too. I want to get out as soon as possible."
After dealing with the four Deadmen, we quickly descended along the path again. Following this path would surely lead us out of the forest. However, the number of Deadmen faintly detected in the outskirts was concerning. Those just within detection range exceeded twenty. But going in a different direction didn't seem like it would make much difference.
There was a world of difference between facing four and twenty Deadmen. If that was the case, excluding a frontal assault, there was only one way to open an escape route. I sighed inwardly and thought about what to say to persuade the group.
As expected, the outskirts of the forest were crawling with Deadmen. At a glance, there were more than twenty, and growling sounds filled every direction. That's just counting the visible ones in front; if we caused a commotion here, the number of monsters popping out from the left and right couldn't be ignored either.
In the distance, a stone wall bearing traces of human presence could be seen. Beyond it, the edge of what could be called a road, though bumpy, was visible. Just one more step and we could leave this forest. The others seemed to know this too, their throats dry with anticipation. No matter how exceptional Ahn Hyun was, he couldn't handle more than twenty Deadmen. However, retreating now felt somehow regrettable, holding us back.
"Damn... How are we supposed to break through there...?"
Lee Yoo-jung's dejected voice pierced everyone's ears. Even if we turned back, there was no guarantee that other areas wouldn't be like this. Ahn Hyun and Kim Han-byeol were also silently staring at the ground, apparently without any good ideas. In the end, is that the only way? Letting out a light sigh, I decided to step forward a bit this time.
"I have a good idea."
As soon as I spoke, it felt like everyone's ears perked up. I decided to get straight to the point.